Organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) displays are light-emitting diodes that incorporate semiconducting organic polymers. OLEDs are beginning to be developed in large quantities and used in many different applications as OLED technology matures. However, because the organic materials used in OLED technology are sensitive to oxygen and humidity, these materials must be sealed to prevent penetration by air or water. One solution has been to adhere a capping or protective layer such as a semi-rigid substrate such as glass or plastic upon the OLED materials, and then sealing the edge of the combined OLED/glass assembly with a moisture-proof edge seal. Another solution has been to attach the semi-rigid substrate to the OLED materials using an application of adhesive applied to the outer perimeter of a face of the substrate. However, known processes do not provide an effective seal between the capping layer and the OLED materials. Known bonding processes often result in bubbles and defects in the adhesive interface or in the OLED layer itself. What is needed is a reliable method of adhering a protective layer to an OLED assembly.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide such a reliable method of adhering a protective layer to an OLED assembly.
A feature of the invention is a controlled movement of a first panel, such as a protective layer, into contact with a second panel, such as an OLED assembly.
An advantage of the invention is the elimination of bubbles in the adhesive layer between the OLED and the protective layer.